Drying-tank.



' GAGE. DRYING TANK.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG.24. 19M.

Patented July 13, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0.,wAsHlNqTON, D. c.

J. J. GAGE.

DRYING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 1914.

l 1 %6,6 1 8. Patented July 13, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COUWASHINGTON, Dvc.

s'ra'rns nr orrron JOSEPH J. GAGE, or DAYTON, 01110, ASSIGNOR orONE-HALF '10 HENRY MACKEY, or

DAYTON, 01-110.

DRYING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915..

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,413.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOsEPI-I J. GAGE,citizen of the United States, residing at 429 Daller street, Dayton, inthe county of Montgomery and State'of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements 1n Drying-Tanks; and I do declare-the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same. 1

My invention relates broadly to improvements in rendering and dryingtanks and more particularly to construction employed at the lower endsthereof.

The type of rendering vat now in every day use, comprises a tank, asteam or heating jacket surrounding the same, and an agitator within thetank. Practical experience has taught that the weight of the contentswithin the tank resting upon the bottom thereof, usually causes saidbottom to bulge outwardly. This is an extremely undesirable feature ofthe present day vats and it is to overcome this difficulty that I haveprovided a stufiing box through which the shaft of the agitatorprojects, and integral arms radiating from said stufling box, the latterand the arms thereon being rigidly secured between the bottoms ofthe'tank and jacket, thus effectually preventing sagging of said bottom.

The usual drying vats are equipped with suitable doors adjacent theirlower ends but it has been found thatthe provision of such doors alwaysweakens the bottom of the tank unless reinforcing means be provided. Inorder to overcome this difficulty, I have provided a rigid door framedesigned to have three of its edges secured between the adj acent wallsof the tank andljacket and have equipped said frame with a laterallyextendingflange which projects from its fourth edge into the spacebetween the bottoms of the tank and jacket, suitable fastening elementsbeing passed through said bottoms and through said lateral flangewhereby said bottoms are further reinforced.

A still further object of the inventionis 50 to provide a false bottominterposed between the bottom of the tank and the agitator therein,whereby the action ofthe contents of said tank when acted upon by theagitator, will wear upon the false bottom and 55 not direc ly upon thebottom of the tank.

A still further object is to construct said false bottom in a number ofremovable sections whereby the same may be replaced from time to time.

With the above andminor objects in view, the invention resides incertain novel features of construction and combination herein describedand claimed and shown in the drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the lower end of the tankconstructed in accordance with my invention, this figure being takensubstantially upon the line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the door being omitted. Fig. 3 is adetail vertical section taken along the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 44 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing more particularlythe exterior construction of the door frame; and Fig. 6 is a prospectiveview of said frame showing more particularly the interior constructionthereof.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the lower portion of arendering or drying tank 1 which is provided with a solid bottom 2, thecylindrical wall of the tank 1 being surrounded by a steam or hot waterjacket 3 whose lower end is likewise provided with a solid bottom 4, thebottoms 2 and 4 being provided with alined openings through which bosses5 formed on the stuffing box 6 project, said stuffing box beinginterposed between the bottoms or end walls 2 and 4 and having anannular peripherally grooved flange 7 through which and the adjacentportions of said bottoms, rivets or other suitable fastening elements 8are passed.

As most clearly seen in Fig. 2, the stuffing box 6 is provided with aplurality of rigid radial arms 9, said arms being here shown asconstructed in the form of I beams and as integrally united with saidstufling box. The arms 9v are interposed between the bottoms 2 and 4 andare held in correct space relation therein by rivets or the equivalentthereof designated at 10 in the drawings, said rivets passing throughthe bottoms 2 and 4 and through the flanges of said arms 9.

By the above set forth construction, the bottoms 2 and 4 are rigidlyheld in spaced relation and are effectively braced whereby to absolutelyprevent sagging and although this construction would probably suffice inmost cases, it becomes expedient to provide a plurality of supplementalbracing bars 11, said bars being here shown as curved throughout theirlengths and as hav ing their opposite ends secured to the arms 9 byL-shaped attaching brackets 12, although said bars 11 might well be castintegrally with said arms. In either case, however, I prefer toconstruct said bars 11 of I beams, fasteners 13 being passed therethrough and through adjacent portions of the bottoms 2 and 1. Byreference more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that theupright flanges of the bars 11 are provided with openings 1 f wherebysteam or hot water admitted into the space between the tank and thejacket, may he allowed to pass between the central portions of thebottoms 2 and 4:.

From foregoing it will be seen that the arms 9 prevent sagging of thebottoms at the points at which they are positioned and that the bars 11perform the same function between said arms, thereby producing anabsolutely rigid structure which may be simply and inexpensivelymanufactured.

As is common with the devices of this character, a plurality ofagitating arms 15 are provided within the tank 1, said arms beinglocated directly above the bottom of said tank and being driven by anupright shaft 16 which passes revolubly through the stuffing box 6. Withmost forms of heat rendering tanks, the agitating arms 15 contact withthe bottom 2 as the same are rotating. The existing friction betweensaid agitator and the bottom will, in time, wear the latter to such anextent as to cause it to be greatly weakened. To overcome this mostobjectionable feature, I have provided a false bottom 17 interposedbetween the agitating arms 15 and the bottom 2, said false bottom beingpreferably formed of a number of plates 18 removably held in position byscrews 19 which pass therethrough and through the bottom 2. By thisformation, the false bottom 17 may be replaced from time to time whenthe various sections thereof show signs of wear.

As most clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, the upright cylindricalwall of the tank 1 is provided with a substantially rectangular opening20 which terminates adjacent the bottom 2, said opening 20 alining with'a similar opening 21 formed in the upright cylindrical wall of thejacket 3, said opening 21 likewise terminating adjacent the bottom 4: ofsaid jacket. Having its body portion located in alinement with theopenings 20 and 21, is an upright, substantially rectangular door frame22 whose upright edges are 23 and upper edge 24 projects into the spacebetween the adjacent portions of the tank and jacket, said edges beingrigidly secured in position by rivets 25 ortheequivalents thereof, saidrivets passing through said adjacent portions of the tank and jacket andthrough the intervening portions of the frame 22. The provision of theopenings 20 and 21 greatly weakens the structure of the tankand itsjacket at this point. I have therefore provided the following meanswhereby the tank and jacket are reinforced at this point therebyproviding a structure equally as durable as the remain der of the tank:For the above set forth purpose, I have provided the lower edge of thedoor frame 22 with a laterally projecting flange 26 which extendsinwardly therefrom and is preferably grooved as indicated at 2-7 for thesake of lightness, said flange being interposed between the adjacentportions of the bottoms 2 and 4 through which and said flange, rivets 28or other appropriate fastening elements are passed. By this constructionand mounting of the door frame 22, it will be seen thatextremelyeflicient and rigid structure is provided.

Although any suitable form of door could be employed for the purpose ofclosing the opening in the frame22, I preferably provide a substantiallyrectangular door 29 whose four side walls preferably converge inwardly,said side walls engaging similarly converging walls 30 which projectoutwardly from the frame 22, said walls 30 surrounding the opening inthe frame and carrying a number of locking bolts 31 which are designedto be swung into notches 32 formed in a-continuous flange 33, nuts 34:being then threaded on the outer ends of said bolts. By reference moreparticularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the flange 33 is formed onthe outer side of the door 29 and that the inner face of said flange isprovided with a groove 35 receiving the free edge of the flange 30whereby to provide a fluid tight joint.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection-with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have providedcomparatively simple constructionv for car rying out the objects of theinvention and that said construction possessed numerous advantageousfeatures. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claimis: v j

1. The combination with. a tankhaving a solid end wall, a heating jacketsurrounding said tank and having a solid end wall spaced from the endwall thereof, said walls having alined openings and a shaft projectingthrough said openings, of a stuffing boX interposed between said endwalls and having its opening alined with the openings therein, saidstuffing box receiving said shaft, fastening elements passing throughsaid end its walls and through portions of said stufling boX, rigid armsradiating from said stufiing boX and contacting with said end walls, andfastening elements passing through said arms and said walls.

2. The combination with a tank having a solid end wall, a jacketsurrounding said tank and having a solid end wall spaced from the endwall thereof, said walls having alined openings, and a shaft projectingthrough said openings, of a stufling box interposed between said endwalls and having an integral attaching flange contacting with the innersurfaces thereof, said stuffing box receiving said shaft in its opening,fastening elements passing through said end walls and through saidattaching flange, integral bracing arms radiating from said stufiing boxand interposed between said end walls, and fastening elements passingthrough said arms and said end walls.

8. The combination with a tank having a solid end wall, a jacketsurrounding said tank and having a solid end wall spaced from the endwall thereof, said walls having alined openings, and a shaft projectingthrough said openings, of a stuffing box interposed between said endwalls and receiving said shaft in its opening, arms radiating from saidstufling box, fastening elements passing through said end walls andthrough portions of said stuffing box, other fastening elements passingthrough said end walls and said arms, supplemental bracing barsinterposed between said end walls and between adjacent arms, saidsupplemental bracing bars being connected at their ends to said arms,and fastening elements passing through said end walls and through saidsupplemental bracing bars.

at. The combination with a tank having a solid end wall, a jacketsurrounding said tank and having a solid end wall spaced from the endwall thereof, said walls having alined openings, and a shaft projectingthrough said openings, of a stuffing boX interposed between said endwalls and re ceiving said shaft in its opening, bracing arms radiatingfrom said stuffing box and interposed between said end walls,supplemental arcuate brace bars interposed between said end walls andsecured at their opposite ends to said arms, and independent series offastening elements securing said end walls in contact with the stuffingbox, radiating arms, and the arouate brace bars.

5. The combination with one end wall of a tank, said end wall having anopening, and a shaft projecting through said opening, of a stuiiing boxcontacting with said end wall and receiving said shaft in its opening,rigid bracing arms radiating from said stuffing box and contacting withsaid end wall, and independent series of fastening elements passingthrough said end wall, the stuffing box and the arms.

6. The combination with a tank having an end wall, a jacket surroundingsaid tank and having an end wall spaced from the end wall of said tank,portions of said tank and said jacket adjacent said end walls beingprovided with alined openings, a door frame having three of its edgesprojecting between the tank and the jacket, said door frame beinglocated in said alined openings, fastening elements passing through saidtank and through said three edges of the door frame, a flange formedintegrally with the fourth edge of said door frame and projectinglaterally therefrom, said flange being interposed between the adjacentportions of said end walls, fastening elements passing through said endwalls and through said flange, and a door for said frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH J. GAGE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. EVERETT, PHILO G. BURNHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G.

